


Spontaneous

by Miriadel_theRogue



Category: Lizzie Bennet Diaries
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-14
Updated: 2014-05-14
Packaged: 2018-01-24 16:38:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1612028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miriadel_theRogue/pseuds/Miriadel_theRogue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I prefer not being surprised by the results of spontaneous moments,” retorted Darcy as flatly as possible.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Spontaneous

**Author's Note:**

> This particular work was written March 23rd, 2013.

Despite the clouds over the last few days, Jane and Bing’s post engagement party had turned into a spectacularly sunny afternoon. The couple had actually been engaged for over five months, and had had a small get together in New York with friends when they first got engaged, but Mrs. Bennet had insisted they repeat the process when they returned to California for a visit. Mrs. Bennet must have been planning this event since Jane called home with the news with all the flair and pizazz that had gone into it, renting out a local pool and attached patio. There were streamers in an intricate and likely unintelligible pattern, food and drinks of the barbeque, picnic sort and of course, popular music. 

From his shaded corner of the patio, William Darcy glanced over the spectacle taking stock of the few guests he actually knew. Bing and Jane were attached at the hip, greeting as many of the guests Mrs. Bennet threw at them as they could with their trademark beaming smiles. Mr. Bennet appeared to be asleep under a tree, a group of young children trying to see how many blades of grass they could pile on his chest before he woke up. Cousin Mary, who Darcy had met on a number of occasions and got along with rather well, as DJ, was concentrating on the music through a pair of headphones, leaning over as she made to select the next track. Through the crowd surrounding Mary’s small platform, Darcy could make our Lydia’s head bobbing into sight every now and then. Fitz and Brandon had managed to make it, currently splashing Gigi who sat on the edge of the pool dangling her feet in. Charlotte had only arrived a few minutes earlier and Lizzie had run off to visit her.

Lizzie wasn’t hard to find, because no matter where else he looked at the party, Darcy found his eyes continually straying back to her. Talking with Charlotte over at the refreshment table, Lizzie stood with one hand on her hip, the other holding a soda can. Every now and then, she would catch his eye and wink or flutter her fingers in a little wave; Darcy always smiled back and didn’t look away until she did. After this most recent interaction (which included Lizzie shifting her hips so the sarong around her waist whispered at her legs) Charlotte noticed, laughing and dragging Lizzie his direction.

“You can’t come over and say hi?” admonished Charlotte humorously. 

“And ruin his vampire tan?” gasped Lizzie. Darcy gave her a soft glare but there wasn’t much power behind it because she immediately slipped her free hand into his. 

“He’s got enough clothes on to protect himself.” Charlotte was right. Darcy wasn’t the picture of poolside fun the other guests subscribed to. Dressed in khaki slacks, casual ones, his dark brown, slightly scuffed shoes, and a light blue button down, sleeves rolled up past the elbows, he was certainly more prepared for a business meeting than fun in the sun. Shaking her head at his outfit when she saw him that morning, Lizzie proceeded to stalk over to him and remove the steel grey tie, followed by undoing the top two buttons and threatening drastic things if he redid them. They were still open, exposing the collar of his undershirt to the world. 

“No jacket though,” Lizzie pointed out. “No suspenders.” As if she were Vanna White, Lizzie flashed her hands over his chest in demonstration, quickly returning to holding Darcy’s. “And no tie. He’s practically naked!” Luckily Charlotte thought it amusing, not scandalous. 

“Then I fit in quite well at a poolside event,” said Darcy. The girls smiled at the joke. “Hello Charlotte; how was your trip here?”

“Very nice, thanks for asking. It’s great to get a weekend off. I’ve been working constantly since April.”

“No trouble getting the weekend off?”

Charlotte’s smirked. “Not since I talked to Lizzie on Wednesday. Mrs. De Bourgh was willing to give me an extra day if I wanted, so I think thanks are in order.”

“I had nothing to do with it,” confessed Darcy. “I am still not in the best of graces with my aunt, and have no intentions of seeking otherwise. Gigi, however, is using the increased attention to the best advantage.”

“I see,” Charlotte laughed. “I’ll be sure to thank her then.”

“Catherine De Bourgh should keep to herself,” muttered Lizzie. Charlotte started to chide her best friend, but Lizzie wouldn’t have it. “Her and Caroline. I mean, it’s been long enough now they have to know it’s permanent. I’m not going anywhere.” 

Darcy wrapped his arm around her waist, drawing her closer just to remind himself how lucky he was. Lizzie purred against his chest, drawing circles along his spine. 

“Charlotte!” Gigi ran over from the pool, Fitz and Brandon at a slower pace behind. Since both girls were in swim suits and Gigi wasn’t drenched, they hugged hello. “How’s Collins and Collins?”

“Far away for a few hours!” said Charlotte. “Which I hear I have you to thank for that.”

Gigi beamed. “Oh, just doing my best to poke a little fun at Aunt Catherine. I’m trying to see how far I can take it before William gives me a stern lecture.” She shared a conspiratorial glance with Lizzie, one Darcy didn’t miss, but he didn’t stop it either.

“Charlotte!” Fitz arrived, toweling off his hair and said, “How’s it hanging at the C and C?”

“Who would have thought Game of Gourds would be such a success,” she responded to peals of laughter from everyone. 

“I’m going to get drinks for the three of us; anyone want anything?” offered Brandon. Fitz and Gigi were already accounted for, and Lizzie and Charlotte held up what they had. “Darcy?”

“No thank you, I have a bottle of water.” 

As Brandon walked off, Fitz groaned at his best friend. “It’s a party, Darcy. Can’t you loosen up a little?”

“Do you not see the unbuttoned shirt?” Lizzie teased. 

“What did you have to threaten him with?” Gigi joined the other team.

Lizzie opened her mouth to answer, but Darcy cut her off by tightening his grip. Eye popping, she beamed up at him, tipping on her toes so she could kiss his jawline. “He was happy to oblige.”

Fitz laughed, settling his hands on his hips in that manner where Darcy knew he needed to be on his guard. The few “adventurous” things from his college career came as a direct result of Fitz’s determination and hands on his hips. “Even with Lizzie around you can’t mellow out and be a little spontaneous.”

“I prefer not being surprised by the results of spontaneous moments,” retorted Darcy as flatly as possible. He knew there was no way to completely distract Fitz from whatever goal the man had in mind, but he could stall until he came up with an alternative Fitz would be satisfied with. 

“That’s what spontaneous moments are good for!” whined Fitz. “You don’t think about the consequences, you just do it.”

“The disaster of my last spontaneous moment was such partly because a certain friend shared information he shouldn’t have,” Darcy said narrowly. 

“Hey,” Fitz pointed his finger at Darcy. “I didn’t know that was about Jane and it all worked out fine in the end. I mean, look where we are today; look who you’ve got your arm around!”

While Lizzie was tickling his opposite side, Darcy maintained a focus on the conversation. “Forgive me for being comfortable with the merit of a good plan.”

“Okay,” conceded Fitz. “Then what part of your plan has you so resistant to getting in the pool?” 

“Don’t bother trying Fitz,” Lizzie said. “I tried to talk him into it for hours last night.”

“I’ve been trying to talk him into it for years,” Gigi said. “Unfortunately for him, resistance is futile!”

Laughing, Lizzie extracted an arm so she could high five Gigi. 

“You don’t swim?” Charlotte asked him.

“Not in public,” was the chorus from the three who the question had not been directed at. Darcy couldn’t frown at them all, so he decided on Fitz. 

Ever a practical one, Charlotte seemed to be, at least for the moment, on Darcy’s side. “Even if you could convince, him, it’s not like he can jump in the pool in that outfit.”

“Oh but wait!” Lizzie left his side, running for the pool bag she’d brought along. From inside, she drew out a pair of black swim trunks. “Tadah!” She showed them off for the group. Recognizing the garment, Darcy made a snatch for them, but she whisked them away and tutted. “Fat chance, mister!”

His high grounded argument was beginning to fail. Fitz and Gigi, he could counteract, even Lizzie could be resisted to a degree, but the combination of all three proved extremely difficult. Fortunately, he had a feeling this was an alliance of the moment, not premeditated, so there was still a chance to outwit the collective. 

“He won’t put those on.” Fitz seemed to be planning to challenge Darcy into submission, a weak strategy if he said so at all. “I’ll bet a bottle of scotch he won’t put ‘em on.” In Darcy’s opinion, blatant bribery was below Fitz’s standards. 

“You hear that?” Lizzie wrapped her fingers around the open collar of his dress shirt, pulling their bodies close. He wasn’t sure where the threatened suit had ended up, but it didn’t seem important. “We could get a nice bottle of Macallan and I didn’t have any out of the apartment plans this evening.”

“Don’t you want to spend time with your sister?” he somehow managed to say. 

“Not if you’re going to spend the afternoon shirtless,” Lizzie whispered. 

_Where had those swim trunks gotten to?_

“You can’t just dip your toe in the water,” Fitz warned. “I want to see wet hair.”

“Fine.” 

Lizzie held up his swim trunks and Darcy took them after much glaring. He would have to change in the pool house, so started off that direction. Lizzie caught up, bumping him with her shoulder playfully. “This’ll be fun.”

“Yes.”

She laughed and threaded her arm through his, pulling him back a few steps so she could look up at him. “I really will make it worth your while,” she promised.

Darcy beamed down at her, warmed by her shining eyes and the hold she’d always had over him. “I love you.”

Dropping the trunks so he had full range of motion for his hands, Darcy cupped a hand around her neck, bending down for a solid kiss. Lizzie hummed, satisfied, then yelped against his lips as he swept her knees out from under her, hoisting her into his arms. Before she had the instinct to wrap her arms around his neck for better leverage, Darcy stepped closer to the pool, deepened the kiss for just a heartbeat and then threw Lizzie into the pool.

With a brilliant arc, Lizzie soared through the air, landing with a strangled cry in the water. The splash shot up, but Darcy let the droplets that made it land on him without complaint. The talk from the surrounding party had dimmed because everyone’s attention had been drawn by Lizzie’s shout. Bobbing out of the water, Lizzie gasped for breath, still too shocked to form words. Hands casual in his pockets, Darcy turned to meet Fitz’s eye. “I believe that’s wet hair.” He cocked an elbow in Lizzie’s direction. 

“William Darcy!” Lizzie found her voice. Trying to remain stony faced, Darcy looked to where she’d last been, only she’d swum to the edge of the pool, as close to him as possible while still being in the water. “Did you just throw me in the pool?”

“I was being spontaneous.”

The spark in her eyes glittered like they did when she said she loved him. “You have two minutes before I begin a splash war to end all time.”

Darcy squatted down and retrieved the swim trunks. “Understood.”

The laughter of their friends could still be heard through the window of the changing room he found in the pool house. 

The party lasted well past sunset. Someone started a bonfire and Darcy didn’t even complain about still being in his swim trunks because Lizzie curled up in his lap and kept a hand at the nape of his neck. Once Jane and Bing left, people started to filter out. Gathering his and Lizzie’s things, he found her giving a final hug to Charlotte. Lydia popped over to invite Gigi for a popcorn movie night with her and Mary and gave Darcy a goodbye hug before Gigi did the same. Wrapping Lizzie in his dress shirt for lack of a coat, Darcy held her hand as they said goodnight to her parents and Bing’s before heading for the parking lot. 

“Thank you,” Lizzie said when they were alone.

“Thanks for what exactly?” It was a curious statement, not a probe for compliments.

“Even if you did throw me in the pool,” she taunted. “You look really nice without a shirt off.”

Darcy laughed. He clicked the fab on the keys to unlock the car doors. Headlights burst to life, and Darcy thought he saw a dark shape positioned on the windshield. Approaching it, he let go of Lizzie’s hand so he could look inside the brown paper bag. 

“What is it?” asked Lizzie. 

Darcy passed over the bag and Lizzie laughed. “The rewards of being spontaneous.”

Back at the apartment, they shared the spoils of the twelve year old Macallan scotch.

**Author's Note:**

> To the ever helpful Stef.  
> Now that summer is upon us, metaphorically speaking, I hope to both write more and post more.


End file.
